Good news for the property & casualty commercial market … sort of.

According to the latest report from insurance distribution and underwriting company, MarketScout, "the composite rate for U.S. property and casualty insurance is closing in on flat or no increases." The report was focused on August 2014 rate trends for commercial insurers.

In order to retain the business they currently have, many insurers are being forced to moderate their pricing, explains MarketScout CEO Richard Kerr. And we could be heading for trouble. "If this trend continues, we should see annual rate declines very soon," Kerr says.

The average rate increase in August was 1%.

A few of the other key findings from the report:

  • As measured by coverage classification, property rates were actually up slightly at plus 3%.
  • Business interruption was down 1% to flat as were fiduciary and crime.
  • Business owners' policies and commercial auto moderated from plus 3% to plus 2%.
  • Umbrella liability coverage moderated from plus 2% to plus 1%.
  • Workers' Compensation rates were up from plus 1% to plus 2%.
  • Rates as measured by account size and industry classification remained the same as in July 2014.

Click through the following pages for charts and other data from MarketScout illustrating these trends. 

Rate changes by coverage class

Commercial Property

Up 3%

Business Interruption

Up 0%

BOP

Up 2%

Inland Marine

Up 1%

General Liability

Up 2%

Umbrella/Excess

Up 1%

Commercial Auto

Up 2%

Workers' Compensation

Up 2%

Professional Liability

Up 2%

D&O Liability

Up 1%

EPLI

Up 1%

Fiduciary

Up 0%

Crime

Up 0%

Surety

Up 1%

Rate changes by industry class

Manufacturing

Up 2%

Contracting

Up 3%

Service

Up 2%

Habitational

Up 2%

Public Entity

Up 1%

Transportation

Up 3%

Energy

Up 2%

 

 

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